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how old was your LO?

how old was your LO when you started solids? DS just turned 5months. our ped suggested we start rice cereal - we did around 4 1/2months. he likes it, but i feel like its kind of a waste. i don't plan on weaning, but want to introduce something a little more beneficial than the cereal. i was thinking avacado or sweet potato...i just don't know if he's to young to give him those? i guess if he can and will swallow he'd be okay and it's probably alright if he is interested, right

Re: how old was your LO?

* Baby can sit up well without support.
* Baby has lost the tongue-thrust reflex and does not automatically push solids out of his mouth with his tongue.
* Baby is ready and willing to chew.
* Baby is developing a “pincer” grasp, where he picks up food or other objects between thumb and forefinger. Using the fingers and scraping the food into the palm of the hand (palmar grasp) does not substitute for pincer grasp development.
* Baby is eager to participate in mealtime and may try to grab food and put it in his mouth.

You're right about the rice cereal, there's not a lot of nutrition to it. If he meets the above criteria (which generally happens around 6 months) you could probably start doing baby led solids if you wanted to. I've been meaning to email you this article. It totally changed the way I was feeding Nora and I loved it with her. It hasn't worked as well with Davis, but he's got other issues. The cool thing about it is that it allows the baby to regulate his own intake, which he's used to doing with nursing. And after the first couple of months you can usually just give baby bits of whatever you are eating, no making separate meals.

If you don't want to do something like that you can still give him mushed up foods. Sweet potato, avocado, and banana are all great places to start with either approach.

“We are not put on earth for ourselves, but are placed here for each other. If you are there always for others, then in time of need, someone will be there for you.”
--Anonymous

Re: how old was your LO?

We started at 6 months. If you want, you can certainly swap the cereal for sweet potato or avocado, or even cut the solids out for another month or so and focus on giving your baby more breastmilk for the time being.

Re: how old was your LO?

we started at 6 months, but DD wasn't really into it and we went for BLS the last 6 weeks is when she's started taking more interest. I give her whatever i'm eating(she likes it better of my plate) but watermelon/canteloupe/papaya/mango that i froze in ice cube trays and put in a mesh feeder she loves for snacks! bite size toast pieces with advocado spread on is another... she also really likes savory things like soup(she'll drink it out of a cup), chili, stew etc. and steak

Re: how old was your LO?

we started offering occasionally around 6 months. Started with some banana, brocolli, that sort of thing. Not big on cereal, did try it once, but I liked the concept of BLS better. We didn't start offering more often until about 8 months probably.

Proud mom of 2:
DD 5/2008 nursed for 3 years and 3 months.
DS born 8/2011 nursing like a champ

Sorry for the short responses...always, always, always NAK or holding a baby